Adjustable spirit level



Aug. 26, 1924.

1,506,556 c. D. BENEDICT ADJUSTABLE SPIRIT LEVEL Filed Sept. 8, 1922 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 1B 'I @03o Chafg D. Benedct Patented Ang. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES CHARLEY D. BENEDICT, OF MARION, INDANA.

ADJUSTABLE SPIRIT LEVEL.

Application filed September 8, 1922.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, @HARLEY D. BnNnDior, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of indiana, have invented new and useful 1mprovei'nents in Adjustable Spirit Levels, of which the following is a speciiication.

The lobject of my said invention is 'the provision of a level which while simple and inexpensive in construction and well adapted to withstand the usage to which levels are ordinarily subjected is susceptible of being easily and nicely adjusted and is possessed of a wide range of usefulness, being calculated to serve accurately in the various `uses to which it is put.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification:-

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the central portion of the level.

Figure 2 is a view partly in an elevation and partly in section, the section being taken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of the rotatable unit of the level.

Figure 5 is an inverted plan View of the annulaiface plate of the device.

Figure 6 is an inverted plan View of the said rotatable unit.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The body or stock of Iny novel level is preferably formed of appropriate wood and is designated by 1. At its ends the said body 1 is reenforced by metallic plates 2, the said plates 2 being equipped with apertured end flanges 3, arranged in recesses 4 in opposite edges of the body 1 and connected thereto by screws 5. This, however, is not of the essence of my invention, and 1 therefore desire it distinctly understood that the protective plates 2 may be employed or may be altogether omitted without involving departure from the scope of my claimed invention.

In furtherance of my invention the body 1 is provided with a transverse opening 6 of circular' form, the said opening 6 extend- Seral No. 586,865.

ing from side to side of the body and being stepped preferably in the manner best shown in Figures 5 and 6. ln one portion of `the said opening 6 is an annular face plate 7, arranged fiush with one side of the body 1 and provided with arcuate slots 8 for the passage of headed screw-s 9 through the medium of which the annular plate 7 is ad-4 justably fixed to the body 1. This provision is made in order that the annular plate 7 may be accurately positioned relative to a longitudinal median line such as the line 5--5 in Figure 4 extending through the body. The headed screws 9 also extend through arcuate slots in an annular bearing plate 10, arranged immediately under the flush plate 7 and rabbeted as indicated by 11. At the opposite side of the body 1, with reference to the annular face plate 7 is an annular face plate 12, connected to the body through the medium of screws 13, Figure 6. rlhe rotatable unit before alluded to and which is made up of a cylindrical major portion or body 14, flanged at one end as indicated by and provided with offset chambers 16, Figures 2, 5, 7 and 9, and an annular plate 17 connected by rivets 18 to the flange 15 and having a circumferential flange 19 disposed and adapted to turn in the before mentioned rabbet 11 of the plate 10. The offset chambers 16 are diametrically opposite each other, and in the said chambers 16 are disposed the ends of a tube 20, the said tube 20 being adapted to contain spirit and to display an air bubble in the ordinary well-known manner. Any appropriate means may be employed to secure the ends of the tube 20 in the offset chambers 16, though l prefer to employ for the said purpose cement 21 disposed in the said offset chambers as illustrated. 1t will also be understood from the foregoing that the plates 7 and 10 are connected together by rivets 22, Figure 6, the plate 1() being provided with arcuate slots coincident with the slots 8 so that the said plates 7 and 10 may be adjusted and adjustably fixed as a unit relative to the body 1.

The plate 7 is preferably graduated as best shown in Figure 4, and the plate 17 comprised in the rotatable unit is preferably provided with the legend letters H and V, respectively, arranged as shown.

1n virtue of the construct-ion of my novel level it will be understood that the level may be readily positioned to determine either a horizontal line or a vertical line, the rotatable uni-t referred to bein@` turned as occasion demands. lt will also be understood that the level is susceptible of use to advantage in measuring` all angles, and accurately determining all lines either to the right or left of a vertical line or above or beloiv a horizontal line.

Notivithstandingj` the practical advantages of my novel level it Will be appreciated that the level is simple and inexpensive in construction, is as compact as an ordinary level, and is as Well adapted to withstand the usage to which levels are ordinarily subjected I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the par-ts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding` of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and rela-tive arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the invention various changes and modiications may be made such fall Within the scope ofv my invention as deined .in my appended claim'.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:-

, Acombined level and plumb comprising an elongated parallelepiped-shaped body pro` vided at a point midway between its ends with a circular openingc Which extends from face to face of the body, an annular plate inserted in said opening and having,` its outer surface flush With one side face of the body, the said plate being provided upon its eX- posed surface with radially disposed degree lines and also being provided at opposite peripheral portions with arcuate slots, securing` devices passing through the said slots and entering the body, the said securing devices beingv located at the opposite sides of the opening in the body `and positionedv in alinement with the median longitudinal dimension of the body and in alinement With the diameter of the opening in the body, the said securing devices engaging the body whereby the plate may be adjusted circumferentially in theopening to the extent of the length off the slots, an open-ended cylinder turnably mountedl in the openingl of the body, means for restraining'the cylinder against axial moven'ient within thel opening and including` a Harige which is held between the plate and body, kand a bubble tube disposed transversely across the interior of the cylinder `and observable from either of the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature.

CHARLEY D. nummer, 

